Transformation | Lorne Rubis

Culture Cast: Why to Disrupt, Transform and Switch to Google G-Suite

Hey Culture Cast fans! In Season 2, Episode 2, Lorne and Lynette discuss their Work Reimagined program that implemented a company wide Google G-Suite transformation. They look inside “why?” they decided to make the transformation, and take a deep dive into change management and how to influence 5,000+ people to make a big, disruptive adjustment.

Please listen on Soundcloud and iTunes, and don’t forget to rate and review.

If listeners have any questions or thoughts, feel free to email the podcast at CultureCastPodcast@gmail.com.

Also, please follow the podcast @CultureCastPod1 on Twitter, and advance the conversation.

The Exponential Four

Abundance Personal leadership Transformation

Key Point: Leading through all the exponential transformation right in front of us will require the “refresh button” to be pressed on leadership. The day before this blog is published, 60 of our leaders will have spent a few hours on this topic with Lisa Kay Solomon, Chair and Managing Director of Transformational Practices at Singularity University. Lisa is a supreme thought leader, and as a gift to you, I want to share the four key attributes Lisa will discuss with us. I’ve referenced these in the past, and now want to dig deeper by passing on an abbreviated excerpt from a Singularity newsletter authored by Lisa. The Exponential Four according to Lisa and Singularity:

The Futurist

The first skill of exponential leadership is learning to transform surprise into mindful anticipation. To do this, leaders have to become skilled futurists.

This does not mean simply extrapolating today’s pace of change into the future. It means imagining new possibilities boldly and optimistically—and understanding they are quite likely to arise sooner than expected. Leaders will have to get equally comfortable with what can be known and with exploring what is unknown.

As futurists, leaders need to get comfortable asking open-ended questions about unspoken assumptions to see new possibilities. They need to be curious about the future and blend imaginative practices of strategic foresight, futures backcasting, science fiction design and scenario planning into traditional business planning.

The Innovator

In addition to imagining a range of new futures, leaders must also act as innovators, discovering new ideas through creative ideation and rigorous experimentation. These days, great product ideas can come from a single tweet or a surprising customer interaction and be tested with a working prototype in less than 24 hours.

When leaders embrace their role as innovators, they realize they must always be thinking about the customer. They use human-centered processes, such as observation and questioning, to collect insights; they use visual thinking and storytelling skills to share hypotheses and ideas quickly and effectively; and they embrace a growth mindset to test and gather evidence on what they’ve learned.

Rigorous innovators do this continually, iterating over and over to uncover opportunities obscured by the fog of uncertainty.

The Technologist

As technology innovation accelerates, leaders have to understand which technologies will directly impact their industry and which will affect adjacent industries. Increasingly, technology can digitize, manipulate and replace physical products and services, challenging the status quo of many existing companies.

The best way to understand technological change is not to read about it, but to experience it first-hand by learning to code, building or manipulating a simple robot, trying new products and services that go beyond what’s familiar or comfortable, and seeking the resources of innovation and experimentation.

This will require a whole new set of discussions and decisions in the boardrooms of every corporation, new behaviors and norms in every product development lab, and new ways of educating, rewarding (and even penalizing) tomorrow’s leaders.

The Humanitarian

Exponential leaders use the skills and behaviors of futurist, innovator and technologist to improve the lives of the people they touch, and society as a whole. They aim to do well by doing good—not as a separate set of ‘corporate social responsibility’ activities, but as part of the integrated company mission.

Leading as a humanitarian can mean explicitly building a business using technology to create positive impact. B corporations, for example, are for-profit companies certified to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It can also mean investing in humane policies and practices that create a positive culture and a meaningful work environment. A workplace that inspires employees and partners to strive toward their full potential.”

Personal Leadership Moves:

Self evaluate where you are on each of the four exponential leadership dimensions. Challenge yourself to advance in each area. How might you grow more in each? How might you be 10X better in one or more area by the end of 2018?
As we always suggest: Think BIG, start SMALL AND act NOW… And you will become more of an exponential leader!!

All Four in Personal Leadership,

– Lorne

One Millennial View: Millennials should look how they can become futurists, innovators, technologists and humanitarians on their own teams or in small management roles. While leaders should be encouraging their organizations to engage in the Exponential Four, we have the control to start implementing these practices in our own routines and mindsets. The worst that can happen is we’ll be best prepared to become great leaders in the future.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

The Race to You (And Me)

Accountability Organizational leadership Transformation

Key Point: Strategic planning, as most of us have known it over the years, is getting disrupted too. Yay. And frankly, I think ALL organizations are going to end up at the very same place. The strategy will ultimately be that the service or product you’re offering or paying for (consumer or business), will have to feel like it was made just for you, or you likely won’t buy or sell it. Occasionally, some new innitiative may be so breakthrough that we will be willing to buy it as a commodity or “unicorn” product/service, however even that is less likely to take place in the future.

If you want to survive (let alone thrive) as an organization, you better be able to service a customer of ONE. Of course, you will be smart enough to scale and customize off of a common platform or your business model will not be sustainable. However, if you’re the consumer you will very quickly learn to only buy what’s “made” just for you (and no one else). Yes, you will be able to shop and compare the essence of what you need or want. At the same time, you will quickly learn to ignore (and if you buy regularity on Amazon Prime you’ve already begun) general products or services. Why? You will learn to get exactly what you want, when you want it, at a value offering that you will find “just right.” Even toilet paper will be bundled just for you and me. And nonprofits, look out… The same applies to you (even arrogant regulators).

As an everyday example, you and I will soon expect our food service company to anticipate what we want, when we want it, at a value we will invest in. None of us are likely to pay the same price for what may appear to be very similar. Your bank will need to do the same thing. Every product or service you and I need or want will be very personal. Perhaps, just to be a little provocative in this blog, even that secure and secret prompt from Pornhub will be just what we are in the mood for.

You and I are “happily” giving up all of our information for “free” valued experiences right now… Social connections, content search, etc. We complain a little about privacy and yet we publically post and participate everywhere. And the best organizations are becoming “data insight geniuses” to learn everything about what we really want and are looking for. Search data tells organizations what we really have on our minds. This is likely not happening because people in organizations are watching and secretly passing judgment while trolling us. Heck no. Artificial intelligence/machine learning bots and sensors on/inside literally everything will outline and anticipate based on learning algorithms resulting in offerings we are (perhaps even unknowingly) looking for. And the winning organizations will figure out how to effectively and thoughtfully connect to have us willingly pay. And in the banking industry, it will ultimately feel like you and I have a private personal banker, that deeply cares, anticipating and looking after ALL our money needs on a trusted platform (a very human like bot). This will happen, (my humble view), in a ubiquitous way within a decade, and I’m being conservative. Overall, it will feel like whatever we spend our energy and resources on will be “just for us.” The emerging model: “Live more happily… It’s personal.”

Personal Leadership Moves:

Instead of spending time trying to figure out the future scenarios and market segments, etc, invest in developing a fully digital platform that provides you and your organization the ability to uniquely differentiate on a customer of ONE. It is going to be a segment of ONE.
Stop wasting your money advertising what your brand is supposed to be and WOW each customer you value by having them say, “I feel like this company sees me and knows me better than even I do. They ‘WOW’ me literally every time I do business with them.” Try and make your customers feel that way NOW with whatever platform you have. Build from there.
Become or learn how to participate in a company that thinks this way.

Delivering to and becoming a Customer of ONE,

Lorne

One Millennial View: Many of the podcast hosts I follow now are involved with Patreon, a service that offers each ONE listener/viewer the opportunity to invest a small amount of money per month to fund extra content for the program. Now, content providers can rely much less on influence from advertisers/sponsors, and create what they know each ONE customer wants/will pay for. I see some real future in this in all forms of media, and more.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

Ok, CEO: Answer These Questions

Accountability Management Transformation

Key Point: How would you answer the following questions as a CEO? All major consulting companies conduct “C Level” surveys to help top leadership navigate trends and think through strategic challenges. Recently, I’ve been part of several of these, and please note that the specific questions and survey process are the confidential property of the consulting companies. However, I’m going to ask you my paraphrased version of sample questions that reflect the essence without compromising the survey protocol of the firms. These surveys usually take over an hour to complete. Then, the firms compile, analyze and give the respondent the collective feedback. To make this manageable, I’m going to ask you just a few representative questions. How would you answer them as the head of your organization?

What is the level of urgency with which your enterprise needs to transform itself? Why?
How successful has your organization been managing transformation in the past? Give examples.
How effective is your organization at creating compelling customer experiences? Examples? Through what means?
Think ahead to 2021 and you’ve been given an award for designing and implementing the most outstanding customer experience. Post on social media, the description of that experience in less than 140 characters.
Name the top five emerging technology trends over the next three to five years, that will most disrupt your industry? Enterprise?
To what extent do you have a well formed purpose and business strategy to navigate through the disruptive forces here now and in front of you?
Your best strategy will be to: Defend, innovate, expand, diversify, or self-disrupt. Which one of these will be your lead stance? How confident are you in execution?
You are being interviewed by major business outlets as the best example in 2021 of an organization that truly reinvented itself. Describe in 20 words or less the essence of your strategy ad business model change.
To what extent is your leadership fully equipped to lead this transformation? Where are big gaps and what are you doing about it?
To what extent are team members “all in” with the purpose, strategy, along with having the skills and mindset to fully participate in the transformation?
How effective are you in using data analytics in a predictive fashion to improve both employee and customer experience? How will you be significantly better at this three years from now?
How equipped and ready are you to PERSONALLY transform your organization? How will you transform yourself first as part of leading this?

The above questions were randomly selected, and samples only. The surveys themselves were much more extensive, specific, and connected. They twisted my brain. And the technology/disruption section was most daunting to me. As an example, many leading enterprises are well on their way implementing Artificial Intelligence to both service customers and employees. It’s happening NOW, not 2021. The reality is, any thinking organization and awake leader is taking their institution through this type of honest reflection and discovery.

Personal Leadership Moves:

You may or may not be the head of your organization (although 40 percent of our readers describe themselves as CEOs or Managing Directors). Nevertheless, your participation in answering these and similar questions is necessary.
What did you learn about yourself and organization as you answered? What will you do about it?

Answering in Personal Leadership,

Lorne

One Millennial View: These survey questions are interesting, and it is nice to see how much critical thinking and “brain twisting” these questions demand from corporate leaders. With more A.I. implementation and (of course), more technology we don’t even know about yet, planning more than four years ahead seems difficult. To put in perspective, in 2013, Uber was a brand new service and I was just hearing about Airbnb, Seamless, Snapchat, Venmo, and more. I see why we put an emphasis on learning and adapting.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

From Code to Click

Accountability Growth mindset Transformation

Key Point: Why would almost 200,000 people spend thousands of dollars and invest a week of their lives to attend a SalesForce conference? I think it partly has to do with the totally accessible movement defined as “From Coding to Clicking,” and the truly millions of opportunities being created as a result.

We all will literally have the ability to create and co-create digital experiences and applications without writing any material software code. Using the amazing platforms built by public cloud based powerhouses like Google and SalesForce, most of us will be able to become data scientists and software “engineers.” IT and business is merging into a fully integrated partnership, and it’s rapidly happening at an individual level as well. When we get the ability to fully leverage these big system platforms, the investment starts to turn into how well you and I can use the full potential of these amazing foundations. Let me give you an example pertaining to SalesForce. To promote this technology mastery, there is a SalesForce certification for almost every role in any organization. When one applies certification competence, we become much more valuable to our companies, others and ourselves. We build more personal equity. I’m going to share a just a few examples of the hundreds of certifications offered by SalesForce through their learning and certification platform called Trailhead:

Administrator’s Certification: Confirms you have the skills and knowledge to customize, configure, and manage a SalesForce implementation.

Developers Certification: Platform Developer 11; gain skill and knowledge in advanced programmatic capabilities of the SalesForce platform to build custom applications on their platform.

Marketers Cloud Social Specialists Certification: Add skills in the social landscape and components of Social Studio; including post creation management, analysis of conversations and reporting.

Specialists Certification: (This would be for executives). Learn how to lead and optimize the full use of the SF platform. And Google has the same “mastery” mentality and learning opportunities.

While these platforms are essentially equal for all, building on top of them is totally unique, customizable and scalable in distinctly different ways for each participating organization. Hence, the more each of us know about harnessing them, the more advantage we and our organizations have.

You might ask, “so what?” Great legacy firms like Microsoft and Cisco have been genius at applying certification learning systems for years. The big difference I’m noticing is that in most cases those certifications were limited or focused on IT or engineering roles. In the case of Google’s Cloud Platform and SalesForce, EVERYONE and EVERY role ideally becomes “certified,” and a power user. Not on every aspect of the full platform, of course, but as the system applies to each individual role.

At SalesForce’s DreamForce 17 conference, which just concluded, 175,000 (that’s the announced attendance) followers descended on San Francisco for four days. It was mind blowing to see the movement and momentum. And when SalesForce CEO Marc Benioff had a fireside chat with Diane Greene, Alphabet board member and head of Google Cloud, their partnership vision sparked a “WOW.” Everything in the public cloud harnessing the world’s leading AI/machine learning, predictive data science and search, etc, all at warp speed as these two giant forces connect to drive exponentiality. Talk about 10X.

The leading companies in attendance at DF17 want their employees to obsessively focus on applying their purpose to customers by leveraging every bit of advantage these platforms and their robust eco-systems provide. In that context – speed, agility and adaptability becomes THE advantage. That’s why the notion of rapidly progressing from “code to click” has huge momentum. Whatever market your company is in; financial services, construction, food services, etc, can be great at providing customers indispensable value. If you want to build your own software platform and apps on your own infrastructure, well, good luck. I’m “shorting your stock.”

Personal Leadership Moves:

Determine what you will become certified in to make yourself more of a digital expert. Even if your company doesn’t use Google or SalesForce, think about making yourself way more marketable by becoming certified on these or other leading platforms. In most cases, these certifications are online and free.
Business leaders and all levels of employees must be futurists, humanitarians, innovators AND technologists. What will you put on your resume to demonstrate that you are progressing in the technology category? Every role requires it.

Lorne

One Millennial View: Well, the homework didn’t end with your last earned degree. I’ve taken a few minutes to research what SalesForce has to offer in their Trialhead course department, and you can certainly access a wealth of information. While taking online coursework may seem daunting, you can’t really put “Watched Stranger Things Season 2” on your resume, so balancing your time by binging on a certification may be a great idea. You know, then go back to Stranger Things.>

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

Disrupted Assumptions

Accountability Growth mindset Transformation

Key Point: What if most assumptions that we currently make about the world were disrupted? Well, that was the most profound impact to me personally after ruminating over the Singularity Summit I attended in Toronto last week. Yes, the exponential technology introduced at the conference included much of what I’ve written about in previous blogs, and is truly mind blowing. However, the BIG “ah-ha” for me was to more completely understand that every assumption I currently believe will be turned upside down. Let’s explore just a few:

Many of us assume that the best way to learn and develop is to go to kindergarten, grade school, secondary and then of course ideally post secondary. However, what if our education was all wrong? When our phone is smarter than we could ever be, what and how would we need to learn? What if most of our education emphasis was on character and values vital for advancing humankind? After all, the world’s entire content would be accessible through our phones exactly at the time and in the way we needed it. I’m not sure if our grandchildren will ever go to a university as their parents and grandparents did? Nor will they “train” for jobs as we did, because most jobs/careers as we know them will be obsolete. What I can assure you is that they will be “better educated and know much more.”
Many us assume that people will always be the source for making money and creating wealth. But what if machines made more money than we did? If a driverless car picks us up, and we pay the app a fee for the ride, does the car/machine get a wage? Tip? What will the machine do with that money? Invest it? Pay tax? What will the ethical parameters be?
What if today (not sometime soon) I did NOT assume I would happily die, a life well lived, around 90 years of age? What if I became more intentional about my well being, and that I could live in a positively active way until I was 120? (Longer if I was under 60). Then I would have (in my case), about another 60 or so years to LIVE? Would people still be asking me when I was “going to retire?” What/how might I live the second half of my life?

This blog could go on and on… Every assumption challenged with a “what if?” And how might I/we? Even the slightest variations in our assumptions can have huge impact on the future.

And one new challenged assumption: That innovation and disruption are NOT the same thing. David Roberts of Singularity University duly notes: “Innovation is doing the same things better. Disruption is doing new things that make the old things obsolete.”

Leadership Moves:

Now is the time to be an exponential leader and challenge all of our assumptions, in a purpose driven way, to abundantly advance humankind. The powerful premise for becoming that exponential leader is to not try and change the world. First and foremost, we need to change ourselves. How will you and I do that?

Please click on and enjoy this video below of the Leadership Moves, and stay tuned for an upcoming embedded Lorne Rubis YouTube channel, and Instagram stories/Snapchat videos that will feature many more.

Video

Disrupted assumptions in the Triangle,

– Lorne

One Millennial View: If we knew exactly how to disrupt and replace a current industry, we’d be the next Steve Jobs. While we may or may not be the next Elon Musk, we can all be involved with teams and organizations that are exponentially changing the world. Assume you can be, seek it, and you’ll have a better chance at involving yourself instead of becoming a spectator.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis